Stories

Friday: Chicago-Born Clarinetist Anthony McGill Gives Free Livestreamed Concert

Upon his 2014 appointment, clarinetist Anthony McGill became the first African-American principal musician in NY Phil history. This week, WFMT will present a free livestreamed recital featuring McGill and pianist Anna Polonsky celebrating the diversity of the Americas.

Stephen Raskauskas | February 21, 2017

Hear What Maya Angelou, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ Author, Sounds Like Singing the Blues

Michael San Gabino | February 19, 2017

Riccardo Muti and CSO Present Haydn’s ‘Seven Last Words’ at Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral

Michael San Gabino | February 15, 2017

The Film Score: Music for Oscar Week 2017

Love Valentine’s Day? This Is the Playlist for You!

Keegan Morris | February 13, 2019

A holiday celebrating love and romance? Sign us up! Valentine's Day only comes around once a year, so now's your chance to get swept away by this playlist of breathtakingly romantic classical music.

Chicago Opera's new general director, Ashley Magnus (Photo: Layne Dixon)

‘My dream is for Chicago to be at the forefront of new opera’: Meet Ashley Magnus, COT’s New General Director

Keegan Morris | February 13, 2019

A new leader has taken the reins at Chicago Opera Theater. On January 18, COT’s board of directors appointed Ashley Magnus as the new Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson General Director. With the trio of Magnus, music director Lidiya Yankovskaya, and board president Susan Irion, COT represents one of the first major opera companies led by women at the executive, ...

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This is What It’s Like to Attend the Grammy Awards

Mary Mazurek | February 15, 2017

The first thing that often comes to mind when one hears the word Grammy is the CBS telecast, but the Recording Academy is so much more than the telecast.

VIDEO | Why Stewart Copeland, Police Founding Member/Drummer, Has Turned to Composing Opera

Stephen Raskauskas | February 14, 2017

You may know Stewart Copeland as a founding member of the band the Police, but did you know he’s also composed works for orchestra, ballets, and even operas? His music has also been featured in countless films and even video games. With such an incredibly diverse output, what has inspired this chart-topping composer and musician to create new operas? In ...

‘Single Ladies’ Set to Shostakovich Proves That Beyoncé Can Slay All Day, Even to Classical Music

Stephen Raskauskas | February 13, 2017

Is there anything Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter cannot do? YouTuber unconservatory has proved that the choreography to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” looks good even set to Shostakovich. In the video below, you can see her dance to the syncopated rhythms of the scherzo from Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10. This isn’t the only time someone has done a classical mash-up with Beyoncé’s ...

Through the Night with Peter van de Graaff